Mela Caribe manifests her DREAM

SINGER and songwriter Shereese Edmund, known to her fans by her sobriquet Mela Caribe, is living her dream with the success of her hit single, aptly called, DREAM.

Produced by international DJ and music producer, Ryan “DJ Private Ryan” Alexander, DREAM has been making waves this Carnival season.

Mela Caribe told Sunday Newsday DREAM was featured on digital platform Lost in Soca’s top 10 soca hit list last month. Bunji Garlin, Erphaan Alves and Ding Dong are some of the soca artists who were also listed.

Mela Caribe said DREAM is a fusion of electronic dance music and soca and tells the story of freedom, love, unity and euphoria.

“It is a moment to really just celebrate life with your loved ones, yourself, your dog – anybody that brings you joy. DREAM is a feel good song.”

Like the first line of her song, Mela Caribe said it felt like a dream when she found out DREAM was recognised in the top 10.

“Imagine planting a seed, and watering the seed and finally seeing that seed start to sprout. That is how I felt. I felt elated because my name was up there with the greats. I felt elated to be recognised…to be respected for my craft. It was such a beautiful moment because I didn’t know how DREAM would resonate with people.

“To see it being received so well, considering that I wrote that song straight from my head…That is my soul that you are hearing, it makes me emotional. It’s just like wow! A beautiful moment for sure."

Mela Caribe said her other musical offerings – Sugar, also produced by DJ Private Ryan and Hold, produced by Play Apollo have also been well received by her fans.

“DREAM is definitely my number one contender. It is the song that is playing the most, streamed the most and asked about the most. It has the most impact for sure. But my other submissions for the season, Sugar and Hold are also doing really well.”

“Sugar is a song about de sweetness. With Hold, I sing about intimacy and passion. It is a love letter.”

The power of manifestation

Two years ago during the height of the covid19 pandemic, Mela Caribe, like much of the world at that time, felt stuck and was burdened with angst in the face of so much uncertainty about the future.

So, in the quiet of night and peace and privacy of her bedroom, she decided to intentionally manifest her dreams and the path she envisaged for her career as a singer and songwriter.

She titled her journal entry that night My Letter to the Universe.

"Dear Universe, Guardians,

God, I need peace in my life. I am asking you to place me in the sights of someone who can take me and my talents further. I want and need you to place me in the right positions…so I can invest in myself, my craft, my dreams. Attract me to the right places, the right energies. I do not want nor need my time on this earth wasted…I deserve great things, I have been through enough. It must end. I need collabs with big artists. I need to be the BEST…Leave behind a legacy. Music is me. It is my life. Help me fulfil my purpose. I will continue being persistent.

Sincerely, Shereese."

And persist she did. She took pen to paper and started writing and recording new music. Shortly after, one of her manifestations came to pass when she met and started working with DJ Private Ryan, who she described as her “musical soul mate.”

“I believe in the power of manifestation…I told God that I just wanted one person to not just believe in me but to put action behind their words. A lot of people could talk, but they don’t do the walk. My relationship with Ryan is very multidimensional – he is a mentor, a friend and one of my main producers. Sometimes he plays a managerial role and I try to involve him in everything that I do.”

Mela Caribe said she connected with DJ Private Ryan when he contacted her after he viewed a video she posted on social media singing Kes’s We Home.

He invited the songstress to his studio to record on a beat he produced. It wasn’t long before the duo release their first collaboration, and Mela Caribe’s debut song, Tell Me What You Like, release in 2021. DJ Private Ryan also produced Dangerous Love in 2022, a duet featuring Mela Caribe and Sekon Sta.

Mela Caribe said she is a living testament to the power of manifesting your dreams with action as she continues to take the entertainment industry by storm. So far, she has performed at several major Carnival events including Sekon Sunday, Erphaan Alves’s EDAY and 3 Canal’s D Backyard Jamz. DREAM is also the theme song for DJ Private Ryan’s fete Soca Brainwash.

Mela Caribe said she always knew she was a creative soul since as a child she was drawn to the arts.

“Whether it was doing monologues at church, theatre art in school, playing the steel pan or competing in pageants, I was always drawn to the arts because it’s a form of self-expression. No matter how much I tried to run from it.

“Music is my calling because I believe it is the thing that allows me to express myself the most…My melodies speaks volumes.”

At 16, a young Mela Caribe decided that she wanted to make a career from her passion for music. She started uploading videos covering her favourite music on social media and would book sessions at the studio to record songs she wrote.

Eventually, she came up with her sobriquet which she said truly encapsulates who she is.

“Mela Caribe rolls off the tongue, it is impactful and I believe when you hear Mela Caribe you know exactly what you are getting. Mela derives from melanin because I am a proud, brown-skinned woman and Caribe comes from the Caribbean which is where I am from and where I represent. It is in my sound, it is in everything and how I carry about myself and together it means brown beauty.”

She described herself as a passionate, versatile, authentic and multi-dimensional artist.

“Being from the Caribbean means that we are versatile. We don’t fall into one box and that is who Mela Caribe is. I am someone that believes in the power of creating impact and I believe that is my life’s purpose.”

She said she goes to the beat of her own drum and that is what sets her apart from her peers.

“I understand the power of uniqueness and authenticity and that is literally what I represent at all times. I don’t look at anyone and say I want to be just like them. I am inspired by many artists, across genres. But I choose to move to the beat of my own drums.”

She named reggae artists Bob Marley and Jah Melody, as well as soca giant Machel Montano, as some of the artists who inspire her.

“I resonate with Bob Marley’s sound, with his passion. One thing he always says ‘When I feel music I feel no pain,’ and that is something that really connects with me. Another thing that inspired me about him is that he said his only goal in life was to create impact and that is what he did.”

“I absolutely love Jah Melody as well because his voice is unique. In his music he evokes a lot of passion and soul.”

She also said she admires the way Machel Montano commands a stage.

“Nobody does it like him. When you go to a Machel Montano concert you know you are going to get a show. And it is also unpredictable. You don’t know what exactly he is going to give you but you know you are going to get something really amazing.”

Having made her Carnival debut this year, Mela Caribe said,so far her experience has been life changing.

“Connecting with different crowds, different people, different venues…It’s so different but the experience thus far has been really life changing. I am positively impacting people’s lives.

“To think years ago I was practicing with a deodorant bottle in my hand and now I am holding a real microphone. And hearing my name being called on stage. It makes me feel like yes, I am on the right path.”

The 26-year-old said in the future, she hopes to become one the best songwriters in the Caribbean. She said she has already penned songs for prominent soca artists in the industry that will be released soon. She is also pursuing her degree in business management and wants to make her mark as an entrepreneur.

“I am a versatile human being, period! Don’t ever box me or think I am supposed to be a particular way because I am who I am and I will always be who I am. And with time, the world will get to see and fall in love with the authenticity of Mela Caribe.”

For bookings, contact Mela Caribe's team via email: info@kerradenel.com

Follow Mela Caribe on social media @melacaribe